Ilja van Leerdam
Encyclopedia
Ilja van Leerdam is a Dutch
footballer who currently plays for North American Soccer League club FC Edmonton
as a midfielder
.
side De Graafschap
.
From 2001 to 2005, Van Leerdam played in the two highest divisions of Dutch football with De Graafschap, appearing in 118 league matches in which he scored 9 goals. He attracted attention of several clubs in his native country, and was signed by hometown club FC Eindhoven
in 2005. In January 2007, Van Leerdam rejoined Helmond Sport.
Van Leerdam signed with FC Edmonton
of the North American Soccer League in July 2011. He is under contract with FC Edmonton
for the 2012 season.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer who currently plays for North American Soccer League club FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Career
Van Leerdam debuted for Helmond Sport on August 13, 1999 in a home match against FC Groningen. He played sixty league games during his two-year run with Helmond Sport in which he scored 16 goals. In 2001, Van Leerdam signed a four-year contract with EredivisieEredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
side De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
.
From 2001 to 2005, Van Leerdam played in the two highest divisions of Dutch football with De Graafschap, appearing in 118 league matches in which he scored 9 goals. He attracted attention of several clubs in his native country, and was signed by hometown club FC Eindhoven
FC Eindhoven
FC Eindhoven is a Dutch football club based in Eindhoven, North Brabant. They current play in the Eerste Divisie , and are one of two professional clubs which are based in the city of Eindhoven, the other one being PSV Eindhoven....
in 2005. In January 2007, Van Leerdam rejoined Helmond Sport.
Van Leerdam signed with FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
of the North American Soccer League in July 2011. He is under contract with FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
for the 2012 season.